| queenie bopper 22.03.2005 23:50 |
I just got "The Game", and I'm wondering if anyone can relate to me the back story of "Sail Away Sweet Sister"? I'ts just very curious to me. I know Brian wrote it, but that's about it. I tried searching this site and others, but I can't find anything:( |
| Shane Jazz 23.03.2005 00:08 |
That's always remained sort of a mystery. I was wondering if anyone has heard the In the Studio interviews for The Game. I have the NOTW one, and it offers insights into some songs such as All Dead All Dead and It's Late. I wondered if the one for The Game offered similar insights.... A wonderful track, isn't it? |
| wstüssyb 23.03.2005 00:10 |
pretty sure it has been discussed here, since it had really not realation to sex, I didnt pay much attention. I think it is after his cat. |
| Maz 23.03.2005 00:24 |
All Dead was about the cat Can't remember if Sail Away is discussed that much during In The Studio. |
| deleted user 23.03.2005 00:46 |
Isn't sail away supposedly a song for "the sister brian never had"? |
| Adam Baboolal 23.03.2005 04:24 |
The sister thing is what I had heard. He had a sister die young and so never knew her. Peace, Adam. |
| Bohardy 23.03.2005 06:34 |
Well it clearly states in the sleevenotes for The Game that SASS is "to the sister I never had". What that exactly means, or why Brian was moved to right a song with such a sentiment, I've no idea. I've never heard that he had a sister die young, and I very much doubt that happened. |
| Lester Burnham 23.03.2005 09:56 |
I doubt Brian had a sister that died young - I'm sure he would've mentioned it in at least ONE interview by now - but I think it was mainly because he grew up as an only child, therefore to the sister he never had. |
| Lester Burnham 23.03.2005 10:20 |
It's not the actual subtitle of the song, meaning that it's certainly not written on the back of the CD case, but it's more of a dedication on the lyric sheet. |
| Fireplace 23.03.2005 11:03 |
What are the chances of Brian having lost a sister early and then writing a song about the sister he NEVER HAD? Slim, I'd say. |
| Benn 23.03.2005 11:14 |
The dedication of SASS reads "...to the sister I never had". I've asked Brain this a number of times and with no response (via the website). I believe that his mother may have miscarried, but that's just my theory - obviously a very difficult subject for him. |
| wstüssyb 23.03.2005 11:47 |
Benn wrote: The dedication of SASS reads "...to the sister I never had". I've asked Brain this a number of times and with no response (via the website). I believe that his mother may have miscarried, but that's just my theory - obviously a very difficult subject for him.Yea, I hate how touchy he is, I keep emailing him to let me borrow his damn ugly guitar, and that lazy chap never replies. |
| Harpo_the_taylorette 23.03.2005 13:06 |
Is it only me that sees something in SASS that's a little on the incestuous side? |
| kohuept 23.03.2005 14:23 |
When writing about the 5.1 remixes, he mentioned that the solo was meant to be reminiscent of Killer Queen - for reasons he wouldn't tell at that time. There may still be a link to that somewhere on his site. |
| Rien 23.03.2005 15:30 |
Here's the bit from In The Studio where Brian and Roger talk about Sail Away Sweet Sister. link |
| sheerheartattack1980 23.03.2005 15:44 |
i would hope that if it is about a sister that he never had, he wouldn't say "I'll always be in love with you". |
| deleted user 23.03.2005 18:00 |
geez...he obviously doesn't mean romantic love. he means fraternal love. He says he will always love this sister and he also says that he hopes she can find someone to love her (probably a romantic lover, like a boyfriend) to love her half as much as him. |
| Lady Cool Cat 23.03.2005 18:09 |
Benn wrote: The dedication of SASS reads "...to the sister I never had". I've asked Brain this a number of times and with no response (via the website). I believe that his mother may have miscarried, but that's just my theory - obviously a very difficult subject for him.Poor Brian...:( |
| cream 24.03.2005 06:18 |
Sail Away Sweet Sister was written by Brian as a tribute to his sister Rose (born in 1887) who was a 2nd class passenger on the maiden voyage of the Olympic (the Titanic's sister ship) in 1912. Rose was kind enough to send young brother Bri a photo of herself on the grand stairway of the ship, and considering Brian had just watched James Cameron's Titanic film, he put two and two together and thought she had perished in the disaster. The fact the Kate Winslet's character was also called Rose in the film brought tears to Brian's eyes (despite the fact Winslet survived and went on to attend the oscars later that year) and he felt compelled to write an ode to his beloved sister who sailed away on that fateful voyage. Imagine how embarrassed Brian felt when the truth emerged that the Olympic made over 1000 successful transatlantic voyages and Rose returned the following Tuesday after the Game was released AND helped him file down the knobs for his Red Special. Although Brian was delighted and relieved to have Rose home again, he still can't bring himself to tackle an iceberg lettuce. Yes, I understand some of the dates in this story are contradictory but I sincerely hope you agree the plot works. |
| iGSM 24.03.2005 06:26 |
Finally someone gives a precise history behind the song. Don't worry about the dates, I re-arrange history all the time. |
| Lord Blackadder 24.03.2005 09:34 |
sheerheartattack1980 wrote: i would hope that if it is about a sister that he never had, he wouldn't say "I'll always be in love with you".What are you talking about? Do you not love your siblings? (if you have any). I certainly love my sister. The Game In The Studio reveals that it is about the fact he is an only child and Brian said he always wanted a brother or a sister to share life with. And the title of the song is technically 'Sail Away Sweet Sister (to the sister I never had)'. |
| Bohardy 24.03.2005 10:08 |
But there's a world of difference between 'loving someone' and being 'in love with someone'. If I said I was in love with my sister, everyone would think I was sick. And quite rightly. Thankfully I'm not. |
| sheerheartattack1980 24.03.2005 15:18 |
Hey Lord Blackwhatever, I sure as hell am not IN love with any of my siblings...I don't know about you...I did not call him an incestual pig so get over it. |
| kohuept 24.03.2005 16:31 |
Latemix, that truly is the only possible explanation. It is all so clear now. Thank you. |
| XcessQueen 27.03.2005 11:10 |
the_hero wrote: It's even the SUBTITLE of the song... people don't read no more these daysI don't believe this. I have "The game" original CD for 9 years, and I've never saw those words... Did anyone heard song called "Change", recorded in 1998 by famous NY rap group DAS EFX...? That song contains sample from the SAIL AWAY SWEET SISTER. First time I heard it, I just couldn't believe my ears! It was SOOOO weird to hear that fragile Brian's refrain with some rap beat over it. But after a while, I get used to it... I can say that today I really like it. In November of 1998 I talked to DAS EFX in person (I was hip-hop radio reporter) and I asked them about this strange sample on their new album. They looked a bit confused, and they just replied that they heard the song, and liked it. That's all. Than I asked them are they Queen fans, and they told me that they are "not hardcore Queen fans, they don't know all their songs", but they like some of Queen work. They did know, however, that SAIL AWAY SWEET SISTER is from "the same album as ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST". :)) |